ARTAS Hair Restoration in Noblesville, IN

What is the ARTAS Robotic System?

The ARTAS robotic system is a surgeon-controlled hair restoration system used during a follicular unit extraction (FUE) procedure—a method of harvesting hair directly from the donor. This computer-guided system gives the physician the ability to remove the hair for transplantation from the donor area in a non-invasive way. The ARTAS hair restoration system uses the patient's own permanent hair—typically taken from the back of the head—to restore hair growth in areas where it has thinned.

The ARTAS system relies heavily on a computer-based program to automate the process. Older methods of hair transplantation are more invasive and can cause scarring. The most common non-robotic hair transplant procedures include follicular unit transplantation (FUT)— commonly referred to as a stripsurgery. FUT involves removing a large strip of the scalp from the patient's head, and it requires stitches or staples to close the wound. The ARTAS robotic system is accurate in extracting implantable hair without using a scalpel or creating any linear scarring—a telltale sign that a hair restoration procedure has been performed.

How Does it Work?

The ARTAS robotic system uses a software program to “map” the donor area and relay the image to a larger screen. Using a patented algorithm, ARTAS identifies each follicular unit in the donor region and determines its individual orientation, direction, angle and position on the overall scalp. Using this algorithm, it is possible to identify and compute different properties of the hair, such as exit angles, orientations and density.

Next, the device pinpoints the exact location of each follicular unit, compensates in real time for natural patient movement, and prepares each graft for harvesting. A robotic arm deploys a 1mm needle—which contains both sharp and dull components—to extract the graft and prepare the unit for removal. Following the removal of a particular follicular unit, the ARTAS system rescans the donor region and uses a randomization pattern to select the next graft. The physician then implants this hair on the thinning areas of the scalp. Transplanted hair typically lasts a lifetime. The procedure typically takes between four and eight hours, depending on the amount of hair being grafted.

Results

ARTAS Hair Restoration harvests grafts from patients with different hair characteristics and from different parts of the scalp. Surgical hair transplantation provides extremely natural-looking results. ARTAS offers quick, precise extractions that give the physician the ability to remove an average of 900 to 1,200 follicular units per hour with minimal transection rates. The technology yields more hair than traditional transplants, leaving patients with natural, fuller heads of hair. Other comparisons of robotic FUE (R-FUE) over traditional FUE procedures include:

Increased accuracy of harvesting grafts to minimize damage to follicles

Ability to use FUE in a wider variety of patients

Reduced procedure time

Increased graft survival

Recovery time following the ARTAS hair restoration procedure is less than that with most surgical cosmetic procedures—patients can usually go back to daily activities a day or two after the procedure. There are no sutures, stitches or staples to remove. The tiny wounds created with the FUE hair restoration procedure heal quickly. Transplanted hair grows naturally in phases—new hairs are typically seen about three months after the procedure and will continue to increase over the course of a full year.